There are four steps to Samadhi; they are the following. First is attention. Our attention tends to wander here and there whether we are observing things externally or if we are internally trying to observe.
The second step is concentration which is derived from attention. This means that our attention is focused on one object. This [...]
Non-attachment is a process that comes about progressively as our practice deepens. There is no way to take a shortcut. You must make the effort if you wish to enjoy the benefits of a deeper practice. It is rather easy for someone to see that they are too attached to things, but it is not [...]
The easiest way to describe non-attachment is letting go. Letting go of fears, joys, and all attachments and aversions. Attachment is that feeling of anxiety that comes over you when something you cherish may be taken away from you, especially when we are talking about a material item. You crave peace and then when something [...]
One of the most important principles of following a path is that of continuing to practice without stopping. Often a person will begin with great excitement, practices for a few weeks or months, and then when the novelty wears off they stop practicing. Then perhaps later, this person will begin again when the mood strikes [...]
It may be a good idea to make a checklist of behaviors that you wish to cultivate and those you want to drop. For example, Actions, speech or thoughts which lead you towards steady, stable, undisturbed calmness or tranquility are….Then make a list of actions, speech or thoughts which lead you away from steady, stable, [...]
The ways to master the mind is by the
repeated practice of non-attachment, by casting away desire, demonstrating dispassion and neutrality and living without either attraction or aversion. There are two directions that one can go in life and also actions, speech, and thoughts. One direction is towards natural reality, an exploration of the self, or [...]
Like computers, we have memory. Also like computers, this memory can be useful or space that is being wasted. Sometimes things will come into my mind, a distant memory that is quite useless. I do not know why certain memories keep popping up. They sometimes are memories of something not so pleasant or something insignificant. [...]
How is sleep different than samadhi? Samadhi is a state where we go into a deep meditation and even though a long time may pass, when we come out of it we are stunned as we thought it had only been a few moments. While in samadhi, we are totally immersed in one-pointed concentration. Sleep [...]
Our minds spend a good deal of time creating and thinking about words and images. Usually, this process leads to ideas or conceptions that have no actual reality. The human mind seems to delight in forming daydreams and fantasies about people and even objects. I might dream about how wonderful in would be to own [...]
Incorrect knowing is described as perceiving something to be something other than what it really is. Perhaps we are mistaking a rope for a snake when the light is dim. The rope is always a rope, although the mind misperceives it in that moment. Another example may be mistaking a post far off in the [...]